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LA Comedy Festival and Screenplay Competition is now celebrating its 10th season. It is the largest combined live comedy and film festival in the United States with a mission of ''Finding the Funny''. We pride ourselves in being the premier DISCOVERY festival for the next great comedic talents of both stage and screen. Premiered short films have gone on to with the OSCAR, a premiered web series is currently in development for network TV and films that we premiered have received theatrical distribution and many have continued on to festivals around the globe including the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Our performers have gone on to win Last Comic Standing, join the casts of Saturday Night Live, Mad TV, Glee and Victorious. Additionally we have screened the latest films from established talents like Anthony LaPaglia, Gary Cole, Fred Willard, Tom Hanks, Katherine Heigl, T.
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LA Comedy Festival and Screenplay Competition is now celebrating its 10th season. It is the largest combined live comedy and film festival in the United States with a mission of ''Finding the Funny''. We pride ourselves in being the premier DISCOVERY festival for the next great comedic talents of both stage and screen. Premiered short films have gone on to with the OSCAR, a premiered web series is currently in development for network TV and films that we premiered have received theatrical distribution and many have continued on to festivals around the globe including the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Our performers have gone on to win Last Comic Standing, join the casts of Saturday Night Live, Mad TV, Glee and Victorious. Additionally we have screened the latest films from established talents like Anthony LaPaglia, Gary Cole, Fred Willard, Tom Hanks, Katherine Heigl, T.J. Miller, Kate Bosworth, Tim Daly, Rosario Dawson, Frank Caliendo, Janeanne Garofalo, Greg Grunberg, Carrot Top, Peyton Manning, Seth Meyers, Elise Neal, Carrie Preston, Michael Trucco, tWitch, Zoe Saldana, Kurtwood Smith, Ralphie May, Scott Thompson, Nia Vardalos, Rita Wilson and Bokeem Woodbine to name a few.

The Screenplay Competition is our newest component and we are excited to discover the next great comedy writers and add to our growing reputation of finding funny.

Include 1 Title page. Attach one with Only the title of the screenplay. Second Title page should include Title, Writer Name, Address, Phone, Email, log line and WGA registration. List all additional co-writer's and their emails. Do not attach second title page.

No writer's name should appear anywhere in script.

Scripts must be the original work of the writer. Multiple writer's are allowed. If the script is a finalist, the writers will divide the prize amongst themselves.

Feature Scripts should be no more than 130 pages. Shorts and TV Pilots should be 1-30 pages.

Do not include any additional materials with your submission.

No Shooting Scripts.

It is strongly recommended that scripts be copyrighted with the U.S. Copyright Office (www.copyright.gov) or registered with the WGA (www.wga.org).

Application, Release and Hold harmless agreement and fee must be included with submission.

All applicants must be 18 years of age at time of signing release.

Under no circumstances will substitutions of corrected pages or new drafts of submitted screenplays will be accepted.

Entry fees will not be returned or adjusted.

Selection of the winner will be made by the Los Angeles Comedy Festival and may not be contested.

Prizes will be delivered to each legally qualified winner within ninety (90) days of LACF receipt of completed W-9 Tax form.

Prizes are subject to change without notice. LACF reserves the right to amend these rules and regulations at any time.

Awards

Three Finalists will be named in each of the Comedy Categories: Feature, Shorts, TV Pilot.

All Finalists will receive two VIP Festival Passes good for all shows and screenings at the LA Comedy Festival, November 10-20, 2011.

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MovieBytes Interview:Screenwriter Isabel Stille

Q: What's the title of the script you entered in this contest, and what's it about?

A: Rewriting Matt. It's a comedy about a successful woman who tries to reform her deadbeat boyfriend. The script won Best Feature Screenplay in the 2012 LA Comedy Festival Screenplay Competition.

Q: What made you enter this particular contest? Have you entered any other contests with this script? If so, how did you do?

A: I wanted to enter a contest that focused on Comedy and this one seemed like a great bet. Also I liked that they focused on discovering unknown talent and that this is a comedy festival and not just a screenwriting competition.

I have entered other contests. So far, the script has placed in the semifinals in a few of them.

Q: Were you satisfied with the administration of the contest? Did they meet their deadlines? Did you receive all the awards that were promised?

A: I was satisfied with the administration. They met all deadlines and were professional.

Q: How long did it take you to write the script? Did you write an outline beforehand? How many drafts did you write?

A: It took me about 8 months from start to finish, with a number of breaks during the writing process. I wrote an outline beforehand, however I made significant changes once I started writing. I lost track of how many drafts I did, but the number is high.

Q: What kind of software did you use to write the script, if any? What other kinds of writing software do you use?

A: Scrivener - I like it a lot though plan to try Final Draft in the near future.

Q: Do you write every day? How many hours per day?

A: I don't write every day - I currently have a full time job so I don't have the luxury. I write on the weekends and a few nights during the week, for at least two hours each time I sit down to write.

Q: Do you ever get writer's block? If so, how do you deal with that?

A: I do get writer's block on occasion. I deal with it either by forcing myself to write, taking a break from the project for a few weeks until I feel ready, or talking through my ideas with friends and other writers.

Q: What's your background? Have you written any other screenplays or television scripts?

A: I studied English Literature in graduate school but have been working a corporate job since graduating. I am not the traditional screenplay writer and am self taught. Rewriting Matt was my first full feature screenplay, however I've been writing articles and short stories for many years.

Q: Do you live in Los Angeles? If not, do you have any plans to move there?

A: I live in New York City. I don't have plans to move to LA at this time.

Q: What's next? Are you working on a new script?

A: I am working on a few other feature length comedies and am currently finalizing one of them. My screenplays tend to feature strong female leads and appeal to male and female audiences. I've also been writing standup.